The consortium research objectives are: to examine interactions among genetic, medical, nutritional, physiological and sociological factors effecting differential survivorship and longevity; to analyze crosscultural variations in functional aging and in the role and status of the aged. The Program has been designed as a comparative, interdisciplinary study of three ethnic populations in natural communities: Mennonites of Kansas, Scots-Irish of Northeastern Kentucky, and Samoans of San Francisco. Extensive demographic, environmental and genealogical background studies will provide the basis for intensive multifactorial research to be carried out on randomly selected stratified cohort subsamples with intensive sampling of the 65 and 85 plus individuals. The core research designs include standard anthropometric and biochemical measures for assessment of morphological characteristics and nutritional status; intensive genetic analysis of individual and familial factors in survivorship; assessment of health status by tests of physiological functions, medical examinations and standard health surveys; studies of patterns of food consumption and analysis of nutrient intake. The research includes studies of the position of the aged in their communities and socio-cultural strategies for coping with age-associated stresses: life histories, individual role and status transitions, adjustment to stressful life events, levels of participation, social networks and concepts of personal fulfillment. Statistical analysis of the interaction of variables will be undertaken for each population, including comparisons of long-living and short-lived families and differential survivorship. A central data bank will provide access to comparative data and capability for the analysis of multifactorial crosscultural variables in aging and longevity and generate a long-term archive resource on longevity.